News Release
| Release Number: | 04-080 |
| Dated: | 4/29/2004 |
| Contact: | Public Affairs Office, 503-808-4510 |
Portland, Ore.-The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is evaluating a permit application from Cell Tech Company to discharge dredge and fill material into Upper Klamath Lake and adjacent wetland in Klamath County, Ore.
The proposed project purpose would be to provide a central point of operations for commercial algae harvesting fleet.
The project work would entail removing about 9,000 cubic yard (cy) from the wetland area or part of the lake and placing about 4,000 cy of fill material into the wetlands. The project work would affect 1.76 acres of mostly palustrine emergent wetland, seasonally flooded, diked wetland, as well as parts of the lake.
The applicant proposes to enhance 5.19 acres of existing wetland for the loss of wetland functions. If the permit is issued, the Corps will determine what is appropriate and practical compensatory mitigation.
As part of its permit evaluation process, the Corps is requesting public review and comment on the proposed project prior to making its permit decision.
For a copy of the Corps' Public Notice 2003-00653, which describes the proposed project in detail, please write to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, ATTN: CENWP-OP-GP (Michele Hanson), 1600 Executive Parkway, Suite 210, Eugene, OR 97401-2156 or call (541) 465-6878. A copy of the public notice, including photocopies of supporting drawings, is posted on the Corps' Internet site at https://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/op/g/notices/200300653.pdf.
Written comments must reach the Corps by May 13, 2004, and should be mailed to the above address. Send e-mail comments to Michele.E.Hanson@usace.army.mil. Comments must reference the public notice number.
The Corps also is soliciting input from federal, state and local agencies and officials, Indian Tribes, and other interested parties in order to consider and evaluate the impacts of this proposed activity on endangered species, cultural resources, water quality, general environmental effects, and other public interest factors.
The Corps will evaluate the permit request under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act for discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States.
A permit will not be issued until the state has concurred with the applicant's certification that the described activity complies with Section 401 of the Clean Water Act.
Also, because the proposed project may affect an endangered or threatened species or its critical habitat, the Corps will initiate consultation with the NOAA Fisheries, under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973. A permit for the proposed activity will not be issued or denied until the consultation process is complete.
The proposed project is not located on property registered in the latest version of the National Register of Historic Places. This notice has been provided to the State Historic Preservation Office.